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Is China a bully? If you stopped the average person in the street
and asked this question, the answer would probably be a resounding
‘YES’. Why? A bully is defined as: Someone who habitually seeks to
harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable.
So how could China be a bully?

A week or so ago, we discussed the union bashing disguised
as concern for ‘essential workers’ from LNP MPs Andrew Laming
and Peter Dutton. Unfortunately, the pitiful behaviours exhibited by
these two LNP politicians is not reserved to the outer suburbs of Brisbane.

You may have seen Federal MP Andrew Laming’s comment in the
media recently suggesting that parents send their children back to
school, regardless of the recommendations of the various Education
Departments around Australia. The ABC’s version of the story is here.

How many times have we questioned the mental status of POTUS Trump?
It was as far back as November 2016 that we began to do so with
Let’s welcome President Trump. Even then, Michael Moore expressed
his doubts about Trump’s surprise election and predicted, albeit incorrectly

It seems Australia’s success so far in reducing the impacts of COVID 19 has
a lot to do with the co-ordinated efforts of the various state governments and
the federal government. Comparisons to other countries with similar qualities of
life demonstrate Australians are experiencing less Coronavirus related illness and death.

Have you ever noticed there are some ‘special people’ in our society
that are always hustling to gain a sniff of an advantage? With the current
restrictions on life as we (used to) know it accepted by the majority of
Australians in an effort to prevent a far worse tragedy, our hustlers seem
to be lining up to demonstrate their complete lack of regard for the rest of us.

The Political Sword

It’s happened before, but criticism of Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts has been re-kindled following his approval of mining at the Four Mile uranium mine in South Australia. In accepting the conclusions of two independent reviews of the likely environ...

The last two pieces on The Political Sword: Let’s leave it to Kevin and Media flounders over the Hu affair have focussed on the media handling of the Stern Hu affair. Concluding comments in those pieces pointed to ‘...all the hype, conjecture, misinformation, and ill-conside...

What a week of predictions, ponderous opinions, shrill warnings and learned views we have had from Australia’s media about the Stern Hu affair. Let’s chronicle them, and in the interest of reasonable brevity, let’s confine ourselves mainly to what has appeared in The Austra...

Those who seek to understand the intricacies of the Hu affair and its implications for this nation could be excused for being cynical and disappointed at the media’s efforts to inform us. It has floundered around with little purpose, insight or even native intelligence. Its cravi...

We’re halfway through the Rudd Government’s first term, but if rumour becomes reality the next election may be just nine months away, in March 2010. Then electors will have to decide whether to give Kevin Rudd, his ministers and his parliamentary team another term or, assuming no...

The Political Sword has been upgraded with additions to the items under site pages in the right panel. These include Blog Watch, Sword Watch, Liberal Watch, Nationals Watch and Greens Watch. [more]
Blog Watch is a feature that facilitates access to a wide variety of Australian politica...

There has been much angst exhibited in recent weeks by newspaper executives, editors and journalists about the future of newspapers and the evolution of online news content and opinion. In his speech to the National Press Club The Future of Journalism on July 1, John Hartigan, CEO of Ne...

Three weeks ago you, the media, took a satirical swipe at me on The Political Sword in The media to the PM – we have a problem. Let me now return the compliment.
You began: “Prime Minister. Listen carefully. The media is powerful, very powerful. Our journa...

The Coalition is close to a black hole, and if it doesn’t change course, it will be sucked in. If it had any doubt about whether its behaviour and that of its leader were being observed by the voters, that should now be dispelled after this week’s polling. That such a rapid...

Open letter to the people of Australia
There have been a lot of nasty things said about me this last week, so unjust, so scurrilous. You’d expect the Government to indulge in gutter politics, they’re Labor after all, but for journalists and even some of my Coalition colleag...

Cronyism refers to giving appointments of authority on the basis of friendship, or in this country mateship, regardless of qualifications, rather than through the practice and principles of meritocracy. So to accuse Labor, and in particular Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan of cronyism over the OzCa...

The events of the week have given new significance to the title of Annabelle Crabb’s Quarterly Essay about the ‘Life and Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull’ – Stop at Nothing. This piece is to draw comparisons between Turnbull’s past behaviour and that which he has ...

‘Where there’s smoke there’s fire’ might have been more apt as a title, but no one will mistake what ‘The old rusty ute’ is about. But as we know, it’s not really about the ute at all. Those who know the story well might wish to skip to the ana...

Given his past history, it might not be unreasonable to query whether this is really his exit. There is still eighteen months to go, so unless he becomes mute until the next election, or retires soon and brings on a by-election, we will hear more from him. There have been several artic...

Prime Minister. Listen carefully. The media is powerful, very powerful. Our journalists write newspaper columns that lots of people read; they create news bulletins and current affairs programmes that many people hear and see; they conduct talkback to which countless people liste...

Can you believe it? Here we are having public discourse about Kevin Rudd’s use of the phrase ‘fair shake of the sauce bottle’ – used three times in the one interview!!!!
First there is an academic argument about what the phrase really is. Is it ‘fair...

Last week was one of the most politically eventful since the election of the Rudd Government. But how crucial was it to the future of the Government and the Opposition?
The National Accounts for the March Quarter showed a seasonally adjusted growth in GDP of 0.4%, avoiding two qu...

They got their man. But who are ‘they’?
First it must be accepted that Joel Fitzgibbon shot himself in the foot – several times. So when it all boils down he has only himself to blame for his exit to the backbench. The first-revealed misdemeanours of not r...

Just Me has provided me with the link to Barack Obama's speech in Cairo yesterday. For those wishing to read this important and well-received speech, click the title: Barack Obama’s prepared remarks to Cairo, Egypt
Your comments, as always, will be welcome.

“[His] answer, as always, is work and persistence. His schedule of travel and engagements reads like an election itinerary. Government sources say his advance teams are going flat out. He never misses an opportunity to grab a headline, giving opinions on everything from Art...

Newsletter

Is China a bully?Is China a bully? If you stopped the average person in the street and asked this question, the answer would probably be a resounding ‘YES’. Why? A bully is defined as: Someone who habitually seeks to harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable. So how could China be a bully? ‘China’ ... 1/06/2020

Give us a breakA week or so ago, we discussed the union bashing disguised as concern for ‘essential workers’ from LNP MPs Andrew Laming and Peter Dutton. Unfortunately, the pitiful behaviours exhibited by these two LNP politicians is not reserved to the outer suburbs of Brisbane.... 25/05/2020

People that live in glass housesYou may have seen Federal MP Andrew Laming’s comment in the media recently suggesting that parents send their children back to school, regardless of the recommendations of the various Education Departments around Australia. The ABC’s version of the story is here.... 18/05/2020

Solar panels: ASD If you are looking for solar panels for your property buy it with ASD. We will guide you in a proper way with ur all question. Also, enjoy the government subsidy on solar panels. Solar panels are the future of a nation. Make Australia as a solar country.. Buy now for your...